Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a front portion, a back portion, a hosel portion, a first interior cavity, and a hosel transition portion between the first interior cavity and the hosel portion. The golf club head may include a second interior cavity extending into the hosel transition portion and connected to the first interior cavity. The body portion may include a port connected to the first interior cavity. The first interior cavity may be filled with a polymer material from the port. The golf club head may include a mass portion located at or below a horizontal midplane of the body portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
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15. A golf club head comprising:
a hollow body portion comprising a material associated with a first density, the body portion having a toe portion with a toe portion edge, a heel portion with a heel portion edge and a hosel portion, a top portion with a top portion edge, a sole portion with a sole portion edge, a front portion, and a back portion with a back wall portion;
a face portion coupled to the body portion enclosing the front portion to create a first interior cavity;
a hosel transition portion between the first interior cavity and the hosel portion;
a second interior cavity extending into the hosel transition portion and connected to the first interior cavity, the second interior cavity extending from a location at or proximate to the top edge portion of the top portion to a location at or proximate to the sole edge portion of the sole portion, and the second interior cavity extending from the face portion toward the hosel portion;
a channel on the back wall portion, the channel including at least one groove extending from the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge, the channel defining an indented portion of the back wall portion;
a first port above the channel; and
a second port below the channel,
wherein the first port or the second port is connected to the first interior cavity to provide a connected port,
wherein the first interior cavity and the second interior cavity are at least partially filled with a polymer material from the connected port,
wherein the at least one groove is below a horizontal midplane of the body portion,
wherein a portion of the channel is above the horizontal midplane,
wherein a distance between the at least one groove and the horizontal midplane increases from the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge,
wherein a width of the channel is greater than or equal to 30% and less than or equal to 50% of a distance between the top portion edge and the sole portion edge, and
wherein a distance between the second port and the groove is less than a distance between the first port and the groove.
1. A golf club head comprising:
a hollow body portion having a toe portion with a toe portion edge, a heel portion with a heel portion edge and a hosel portion, a top portion with a top portion edge, a sole portion with a sole portion edge, a front portion, and a back portion with a back wall portion;
a face portion coupled to the body portion enclosing the front portion to create a first interior cavity;
a hosel transition portion between the first interior cavity and the hosel portion;
a second interior cavity extending into the hosel transition portion and connected to the first interior cavity, the second interior cavity extending from a location at or proximate to the top edge portion of the top portion to a location at or proximate to the sole edge portion of the sole portion, and the second interior cavity extending from the face portion toward the hosel portion;
a channel on the back wall portion, the channel including at least one groove extending from the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge, the channel defining an indented portion of the back wall portion;
a first set of ports including at least one port above the channel, a distance between the at least one port of the first set of ports and the toe portion edge being substantially less than a distance between the at least one port of the first set of ports and the hosel portion; and
a second set of ports including at least one port below the channel, a distance between the at least one port of the second set of ports and the toe portion edge being substantially less than a distance between the at least one port of the second set of ports and the hosel portion,
wherein at least one port of the first set of ports or the second set of ports is connected to the first interior cavity to provide a connected port,
wherein the first interior cavity and the second interior cavity are at least partially filled with a polymer material from the connected port,
wherein a width of the at least one groove decreases from the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge, and
wherein a distance between the at least one groove and a horizontal midplane of the body portion increases from the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge.
8. A golf club head comprising:
a hollow body portion having a toe portion with a toe portion edge, a heel portion with a heel portion edge and a hosel portion, a top portion with a top portion edge, a sole portion with a sole portion edge, a front portion, and a back portion with a back wall portion;
a face portion coupled to the body portion enclosing the front portion to create a first interior cavity;
a hosel transition portion between the first interior cavity and the hosel portion;
a second interior cavity extending into the hosel transition portion and connected to the first interior cavity, the second interior cavity having a height extending between the top portion edge and the sole portion edge and a depth extending between the face portion and the hosel portion;
a channel on the back wall portion, the channel including at least one groove extending from the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge, the channel defining an indented portion of the back wall portion;
a first set of ports including at least one port above the channel, a distance between the at least one port of the first set of ports and the toe portion edge being substantially less than a distance between the at least one port of the first set of ports and the hosel portion; and
a second set of ports including at least one port below the channel, a distance between the at least one port of the second set of ports and the toe portion edge being substantially less than a distance between the at least one port of the second set of ports and the hosel portion,
wherein at least one of the at least one port of the first set of ports or the at least one port of the second set of ports is connected to the first interior cavity to provide a connected port,
wherein the first interior cavity and the second interior cavity are at least partially filled with a polymer material from the connected port,
wherein a width of the at least one groove decreases from the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge,
wherein the at least one groove is below a horizontal midplane of the body portion and above the second set of ports, and
wherein the height of the second interior cavity is substantially greater than the depth of the second interior cavity.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/841,022, filed Dec. 13, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/701,131, filed Sep. 11, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/685,986, filed Aug. 24, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/628,251, filed Jun. 20, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/209,364, filed on Jul. 13, 2016, is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/US15/16666, filed Feb. 19, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/942,515, filed Feb. 20, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/945,560, filed Feb. 27, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/948,839, filed Mar. 6, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/952,470, filed Mar. 13, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/992,555, filed May 13, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/010,836, filed Jun. 11, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/011,859, filed Jun. 13, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/032,770, filed Aug. 4, 2014.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/209,364, filed on Jul. 13, 2016, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/618,501, filed Feb. 10, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,427,634, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/589,277, filed Jan. 5, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,421,437, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/513,073, filed Oct. 13, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,961,336, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/498,603, filed Sep. 26, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,199,143, which claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/041,538, filed Aug. 25, 2014.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/478,542, filed Apr. 4, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/709,195, filed May 11, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,649,542, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/021,415, filed Jul. 7, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/058,858, filed Oct. 2, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/137,494, filed Mar. 24, 2015.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/683,564, filed Aug. 22, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/598,949, filed May 18, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/711,596, filed May 13, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,675,853, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/118,403, filed Feb. 19, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/159,856, filed May 11, 2015.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/947,383, filed Apr. 6, 2018, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/842,632, filed Dec. 14, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/263,018, filed Sep. 12, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,878,220, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/043,090, filed Feb. 12, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,468,821, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/209,780, filed Aug. 25, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/277,636, filed Jan. 12, 2016.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/842,583, filed Dec. 14, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/631,610, filed Jun. 23, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/360,707, filed Nov. 23, 2016, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/043,106, filed Feb. 12, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,533,201, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/275,443, filed Jan. 6, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/276,358, filed Jan. 8, 2016.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/703,639, filed Sep. 13, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/484,794, filed Apr. 11, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,814,952, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/321,652, filed Apr. 12, 2016.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/842,591, filed Dec. 14, 2017, which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/US16/42075, filed Jul. 13, 2016, which claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 15/188,718, filed Jun. 21, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,610,481, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/343,739, filed May 31, 2016.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/462,281, filed Mar. 17, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/433,661, filed Dec. 13, 2016.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/616,949, filed Sep. 11, 2017.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/802,819, filed Nov. 3, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/793,648, filed Oct. 25, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 15/791,020, filed Oct. 23, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/785,001, filed Oct. 16, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/502,442, filed May 5, 2017, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/508,794, filed May 19, 2017, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/512,033, filed May 28, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/570,493, filed Oct. 10, 2017.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/536,345, filed Jul. 24, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/642,531, filed Mar. 13, 2018.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/622,326, filed Oct. 16, 2017.
The disclosures of the referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure may be subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the present disclosure and its related documents, as they appear in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all applicable copyrights.
The present disclosure generally relates to golf equipment, and more particularly, to golf club heads and methods to manufacturing golf club heads.
Various materials (e.g., steel-based materials, titanium-based materials, tungsten-based materials, etc.) may be used to manufacture golf club heads. By using multiple materials to manufacture golf club heads, the position of the center of gravity (CG) and/or the moment of inertia (MOI) of the golf club heads may be optimized to produce certain trajectory and spin rate of a golf ball.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures may not be depicted to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure.
In general, golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are described herein. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In the example of
The golf club head 100 may be an iron-type golf club head (e.g., a 1-iron, a 2-iron, a 3-iron, a 4-iron, a 5-iron, a 6-iron, a 7-iron, an 8-iron, a 9-iron, etc.) or a wedge-type golf club head (e.g., a pitching wedge, a lob wedge, a sand wedge, an n-degree wedge such as 44 degrees (°), 48°, 52°, 56°, 60°, etc.). Although
The toe portion 140 may include a portion of the body portion 110 opposite of the heel portion 150. The heel portion 150 may include a hosel portion 155 configured to receive a shaft (not shown) with a grip (not shown) on one end and the golf club head 100 on the opposite end of the shaft to form a golf club. The front surface 164 of the face portion 162 may include one or more score lines, slots, or grooves 168 extending to and/or between the toe portion 140 and the heel portion 150. While the figures may depict a particular number of grooves, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may include more or less grooves. The face portion 162 may be used to impact a golf ball (not shown). The face portion 162 may be an integral portion of the body portion 110. Alternatively, the face portion 162 may be a separate piece or an insert coupled to the body portion 110 via various manufacturing methods and/or processes (e.g., a bonding process such as adhesive, a welding process such as laser welding, a brazing process, a soldering process, a fusing process, a mechanical locking or connecting method, any combination thereof, or other suitable types of manufacturing methods and/or processes). The face portion 162 may be associated with a loft plane that defines the loft angle of the golf club head 100. The loft angle may vary based on the type of golf club (e.g., a long iron, a middle iron, a short iron, a wedge, etc.). In one example, the loft angle may be between five degrees and seventy-five degrees. In another example, the loft angle may be between twenty degrees and sixty degrees. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The back portion 170 may include a portion of the body portion 110 opposite of the front portion 160. In one example, the back portion 170 may be a portion of the body portion 110 behind the back surface 166 of the face portion 162. As shown in
Further, the body portion 110 may include one or more ports, which may be exterior ports and/or interior ports (e.g., located inside the body portion 110). The interior walls of the body portion 110 may include one or more ports. In one example, the back portion 170 may include one or more ports (e.g., inside an interior cavity, generally shown as 700 in
The body portion 110 may include one or more mass portions, which may be integral mass portion(s) or separate mass portion(s) that may be coupled to the body portion 110. In the illustrated example as shown in
The body portion 110 may be made of a first material whereas the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be made of a second material. The first and second materials may be similar or different materials. For example, the body portion 110 may be partially or entirely made of a steel-based material (e.g., 17-4 PH stainless steel, Nitronic® 50 stainless steel, maraging steel or other types of stainless steel), a titanium-based material, an aluminum-based material (e.g., a high-strength aluminum alloy or a composite aluminum alloy coated with a high-strength alloy), any combination thereof, non-metallic materials, composite materials, and/or other suitable types of materials. In one example, one or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be partially or entirely made of a high-density material such as a tungsten-based material or other suitable types of materials. In another example, one more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be partially or entirely made of other suitable metal material such as a stainless steel-based material, a titanium-based material, an aluminum-based material, any combination thereof, and/or other suitable types of materials. Further, one or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be made of different types of materials (e.g., metal core and polymer sleeve surrounding the metal core). The body portion 110, the first set of mass portions 120, and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be partially or entirely made of similar or different non-metal materials (e.g., composite, plastic, polymer, etc.). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
One or more ports may be configured to receive a mass portion having a similar shape as the port. For example, a rectangular port may receive a rectangular mass portion. In another example, an elliptical port may receive an elliptical mass portion. As shown in
Alternatively, the golf club head 100 may not include (i) the first set of mass portions 120, (ii) the second set of mass portions 130, or (iii) both the first and second sets of mass portions 120 and 130, respectively. In particular, the body portion 110 may not include ports at or proximate to the top portion 180 and/or the sole portion 190. For example, the mass of the first set of mass portions 120 (e.g., 3 grams) and/or the mass of the second set of mass portions 130 (e.g., 16.8 grams) may be integral part(s) of the body portion 110 instead of separate mass portion(s). In one example, the body portion 110 may include interior and/or exterior integral mass portions at or proximate to the toe portion 140 and/or at or proximate to the heel portion 150. In another example, a portion of the body portion 110 may include interior and/or exterior integral mass portions extending to and/or between the toe portion 140 and the heel portion 150. The first and/or second set of mass portions 120 and 130, respectively, may affect the mass, the center of gravity (CG), the moment of inertia (MOI), or other physical properties of the golf club head 100. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
One or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may have similar or different physical properties (e.g., color, marking, shape, size, density, mass, volume, external surface texture, materials of construction, etc.). Accordingly, the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may contribute to the ornamental design of the golf club head 100. In the illustrated example as shown in
Although the above examples may describe mass portions having a particular shape, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may include mass portions of other suitable shapes (e.g., a portion of or a whole sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, pyramid, cuboidal, prism, frustum, rectangular, elliptical, or other suitable geometric shape). While the above examples and figures may depict multiple mass portions as a set of mass portions, two or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be a single piece of mass portion. In one example, the first set of mass portions 120 may be a single piece of mass portion instead of a series of four separate mass portions. In another example, the second set of mass portions 130 may be a single piece of mass portion instead of a series of seven separate mass portions. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Referring to
As mentioned above, one or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be similar in some physical properties but different in other physical properties. For example, a mass portion may be made from an aluminum-based material or an aluminum alloy whereas another mass portion may be made from a tungsten-based material or a tungsten alloy. In another example, a mass portion may be made from a polymer material whereas another mass portion may be made from a steel-based material. In yet another example, as illustrated in
Referring to
The body portion 110 may include any number of ports (e.g., no ports, one port, two ports, etc.) above the horizontal midplane 1020 and/or below the horizontal midplane 1020. In one example, the body portion 110 may include a greater number of ports below the horizontal midplane 1020 than above the horizontal midplane 1020. In the illustrated example as shown in
To provide optimal perimeter weighting for the golf club head 100, the first set of mass portions 120 (e.g., generally shown as mass portions 121, 122, 123, and 124) may be configured to counter-balance the mass of the hosel 155. For example, as shown in
At least a portion of the first set of mass portions 120 may be at or near the toe portion 140 to increase the MOI of the golf club head 100 about a vertical axis of the golf club head 100 that extends through the CG of the golf club head 100. Accordingly, the first set of mass portions 120 may be at or near the periphery of the body portion 110 and extend through the top portion 180 and/or the toe portion 140 to counter-balance the mass of the hosel 155 and/or increase the MOI of the golf club head 100. The locations of the first set of mass portions 120 (i.e., the locations of the first set of ports 1420) and the physical properties and materials of construction of the first set of mass portions 120 may be determined to optimally affect the mass, mass distribution, CG, MOI, structural integrity and/or or other static and/or dynamic characteristics of the golf club head 100. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The second set of mass portions 130 (e.g., generally shown as mass portions 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137) may be configured to place the CG of the golf club head 100 at an optimal location and optimize the MOI of the golf club head 100. Referring to
Turning to
As described herein, the CG of the golf club head 100 may be relatively farther back away from the face portion 162 and relatively lower towards a ground plane (e.g., one shown as 1010 in
While the figures may depict ports with a particular cross-section shape, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may include ports with other suitable cross-section shapes. In one example, the ports of the first and/or second sets of ports 1420 and 1430 may have U-like cross-section shape. In another example, the ports of the first and/or second set of ports 1420 and 1430 may have V-like cross-section shape. One or more of the ports associated with the first set of mass portions 120 may have a different cross-section shape than one or more ports associated with the second set of mass portions 130. For example, the port 1421 may have a U-like cross-section shape whereas the port 1435 may have a V-like cross-section shape. Further, two or more ports associated with the first set of mass portions 120 may have different cross-section shapes. In a similar manner, two or more ports associated with the second set of mass portions 130 may have different cross-section shapes. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The first and second sets of mass portions 120 and 130, respectively, may be similar in mass (e.g., all of the mass portions of the first and second sets 120 and 130, respectively, weigh about the same). Alternatively, the first and second sets of mass portions 120 and 130, respectively, may be different in mass individually or as an entire set. In particular, one or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 (e.g., generally shown as 121, 122, 123, and 124) may have relatively less mass than one or more portions of the second set of mass portions 130 (e.g., generally shown as 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137). For example, the second set of mass portions 130 may account for more than 50% of the total mass from mass portions of the golf club head 100. As a result, the golf club head 100 may be configured to have at least 50% of the total mass from mass portions disposed below the horizontal midplane 1020. Two or more mass portions in the same set may be different in mass. In one example, the mass portion 121 of the first set 120 may have a relatively lower mass than the mass portion 122 of the first set 120. In another example, the mass portion 131 of the second set 130 may have a relatively lower mass than the mass portion 135 of the second set 130. Accordingly, more mass may be distributed away from the CG of the golf club head 100 to increase the MOI about the vertical axis through the CG. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, the golf club head 100 may have a mass in the range of about 220 grams to about 330 grams based on the type of golf club (e.g., a 4-iron versus a lob wedge). The body portion 110 may have a mass in the range of about 200 grams to about 310 grams with the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 having a mass of about 20 grams (e.g., a total mass from mass portions). One or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may have a mass greater than or equal to about 0.1 gram and less than or equal to about 20 grams. In one example, one or more mass portions of the first set 120 may have a mass of about 0.75 gram whereas one or more mass portions of the second set 130 may have a mass of about 2.4 grams. The sum of the mass of the first set of mass portions 120 or the sum of the mass of the second set of mass portions 130 may be greater than or equal to about 0.1 grams and less than or equal to about 20 grams. In one example, the sum of the mass of the first set of mass portions 120 may be about 3 grams whereas the sum of the mass of the first set of mass portions 130 may be about 16.8 grams. The total mass of the second set of mass portions 130 may weigh more than five times as much as the total mass of the first set of mass portions 120 (e.g., a total mass of the second set of mass portions 130 of about 16.8 grams versus a total mass of the first set of mass portions 120 of about 3 grams). The golf club head 100 may have a total mass of 19.8 grams from the first and second sets of mass portions 120 and 130, respectively (e.g., sum of 3 grams from the first set of mass portions 120 and 16.8 grams from the second set of mass portions 130). Accordingly, in one example, the first set of mass portions 120 may account for about 15% of the total mass from mass portions of the golf club head 100 whereas the second set of mass portions 130 may be account for about 85% of the total mass from mass portions of the golf club head 100. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
By coupling the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130, respectively, to the body portion 110 (e.g., securing the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 in the ports on the back portion 170), the location of the CG and the MOI) of the golf club head 100 may be optimized. In particular, as described herein, the first set of mass portions 120 may lower the location of the CG towards the sole portion 190 and further back away from the face portion 162. Further, the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may increase the MOI as measured about a vertical axis extending through the CG (e.g., perpendicular to the ground plane 1010). The MOI may also be higher as measured about a horizontal axis extending through the CG (e.g., extending towards the toe and heel portions 150 and 160, respectively, of the golf club head 100). As a result, the club head 100 may provide a relatively higher launch angle and a relatively lower spin rate than a golf club head without the first and/or second sets of mass portions 120 and 130, respectively. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Although the figures may depict the mass portions as separate and individual parts that may be visible from an exterior of the golf club head 100, the two or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 may be a single piece of mass portion that may be an exterior mass portion or an interior mass portion (i.e., not visible from an exterior of the golf club head 100). In one example, all of the mass portions of the first set 120 (e.g., generally shown as 121, 122, 123, and 124) may be combined into a single piece of mass portion (e.g., a first mass portion). In a similar manner, all of the mass portions of the second set 130 (e.g., generally shown as 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137) may be combined into a single piece of mass portion as well (e.g., a second mass portion). In this example, the golf club head 100 may have only two mass portions. In another example (not shown), the body portion 110 may not include the first set of mass portions 120, but include the second set of mass portions 130 in the form of a single piece of internal mass portion that may be farther from the heel portion 150 than the toe portion 140. In yet another example (not shown), the body portion 110 may not include the first set of mass portions 120, but include the second set of mass portions 130 with a first internal mass portion farther from the heel portion 150 than the toe portion 140 and a second internal mass portion farther from the toe portion 140 than from the heel portion 150. The first internal mass portion and the second internal mass portion may be (i) integral parts of the body portion 110 or (ii) separate from the body portion 110 and coupled to the body portion 110. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
While the figures may depict a particular number of mass portions, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may include more or less number of mass portions. In one example, the first set of mass portions 120 may include two separate mass portions instead of three separate mass portions as shown in the figures. In another example, the second set of mass portions 130 may include five separate mass portions instead of seven separate mass portions as shown in the figures. Alternatively as mentioned above, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may not include any separate mass portions (e.g., the body portion 110 may be manufactured to include the mass of the separate mass portions as integral part(s) of the body portion 110). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Referring to
In one example, the interior cavity 700 may be unfilled (i.e., empty space). The body portion 110 with the interior cavity 700 may weigh about 100 grams less than the body portion 110 without the interior cavity 700. Alternatively, the interior cavity 700 may be partially or entirely filled with a filler material (i.e., a cavity filling portion), which may include one or more similar or different types of materials. In one example, the filler material may include an elastic polymer or an elastomer material (e.g., a viscoelastic urethane polymer material such as Sorbothane® material manufactured by Sorbothane, Inc., Kent, Ohio), a thermoplastic elastomer material (TPE), a thermoplastic polyurethane material (TPU), other polymer material(s), bonding material(s) (e.g., adhesive), and/or other suitable types of materials that may absorb shock, isolate vibration, and/or dampen noise. For example, at least 50% of the interior cavity 700 may be filled with a TPE material to absorb shock, isolate vibration, and/or dampen noise when the golf club head 100 strikes a golf ball via the face portion 162. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In another example, the filler material may be a polymer material such as an ethylene copolymer material that may absorb shock, isolate vibration, and/or dampen noise when the golf club head 100 strikes a golf ball via the face portion 162. In particular, at least 50% of the interior cavity 700 may be filled with a high density ethylene copolymer ionomer, a fatty acid modified ethylene copolymer ionomer, a highly amorphous ethylene copolymer ionomer, an ionomer of ethylene acid acrylate terpolymer, an ethylene copolymer comprising a magnesium ionomer, an injection moldable ethylene copolymer that may be used in conventional injection molding equipment to create various shapes, an ethylene copolymer that can be used in conventional extrusion equipment to create various shapes, an ethylene copolymer having high compression and low resilience similar to thermoset polybutadiene rubbers, and/or a blend of highly neutralized polymer compositions, highly neutralized acid polymers or highly neutralized acid polymer compositions, and fillers. For example, the ethylene copolymer may include any of the ethylene copolymers associated with DuPont™ High-Performance Resin (HPF) family of materials (e.g., DuPont™ HPF AD1172, DuPont™ HPF AD1035, DuPont® HPF 1000 and DuPont™ HPF 2000), which are manufactured by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del. The DuPont™ HPF family of ethylene copolymers are injection moldable and may be used with conventional injection molding equipment and molds, provide low compression, and provide high resilience, i.e., relatively high coefficient of restitution (COR). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
For example, the filler material may have a density of less than or equal to 1.5 g/cm3. The filler material may have a compression deformation value ranging from about 0.0787 inch (2 mm) to about 0.1968 inch (5 mm). The filler material may have a surface Shore D hardness ranging from 40 to 60. As mentioned above, the filler material may be associated with a relatively high coefficient of restitution (COR). The filler material may be associated with a first COR (COR1) and the face portion 2462 may be associated with a second COR (COR2), which may be similar or different from the first COR. The first and second CORs may be associated with a COR ratio (e.g., COR12 ratio=COR1/COR2 or COR21 ratio=COR2/COR1). In one example, the COR ratio may be less than two (2). In another example, the COR ratio may be in a range from about 0.5 to about 1.5. In yet another example, the COR ratio may be in a range from about 0.8 to about 1.2. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The golf club head 100 may be associated with a third COR (COR3), which may be similar or different from the first COR and/or the second COR. As mentioned above, the filler material may be associated with the first COR. The first and third CORs may be associated with a COR ratio (e.g., COR13 ratio=COR1/COR3 or COR31 ratio=COR3/COR1). In one example, the COR ratio may be less than two (2). In another example, the COR ratio may be in a range from about 0.5 to about 1.5. In yet another example, the COR ratio may be in a range from about 0.8 to about 1.2. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The CORs of the filler material, the face portion 162, and/or the golf club head 100 (e.g., the first COR (COR1), the second COR (COR2), and/or the third COR (COR3), respectively) may be measured by methods similar to methods that measure the COR of a golf ball and/or a golf club head as defined by one or more golf standard organizations and/or governing bodies (e.g., United States Golf Association (USGA)). In one example, an air cannon device may launch or eject an approximately 1.55 inch (38.1 mm) spherical sample of the filler material at an initial velocity toward a steel plate positioned at about 4 feet (1.2 meters) away from the air cannon device. The sample may vary in size, shape or any other configuration. A speed monitoring device may be located at a distance in a range from 2 feet (0.6 meters) to 3 feet (0.9 meters) from the air cannon device. The speed monitoring device may measure a rebound velocity of the sample of the filler material after the sample of the filler material strikes the steel plate. The COR may be the rebound velocity divided by the initial velocity. In one example, the filler material may have a COR value in a range from approximately 0.50 to approximately 0.95 when measured with an initial velocity in a range from 100 ft/s (30.48 m/s) to 250 ft/s (76.2 m/s). In another example, the filler material may have a COR value in a range from approximately 0.65 to approximately 0.85 when measured with an initial velocity in a range from 100 ft/s (30.48 m/s) to 150 ft/s (45.72 m/s). In another example, the filler material may have a COR value in a range from approximately 0.75 to approximately 0.8 when measured with an initial velocity in a range 100 ft/s (30.48 m/s) to 150 ft/s (45.72 m/s). In another example, the filler material may have a COR value in a range from approximately 0.55 to approximately 0.90 when measured with an initial velocity in a range from 100 ft/s (30.48 m/s) and 250 ft/s (76.2 m/s). In another example, the filler material may have a COR value in a range from approximately 0.75 to approximately 0.85 when measured with an initial velocity in a range 110 ft/s (33.53 m/s) to 200 ft/s (60.96 m/s). In yet another example, the filler material may have a COR value in a range from approximately 0.8 to approximately 0.9 when measured with an initial velocity of about 125 ft/s (38.1 m/s). While a particular example may be described above, other methods may be used to measure the CORs of the filler material, the face portion 162, and/or the golf club head 100. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
When the face portion 162 of the golf club head 100 strikes a golf ball, the face portion 162 and the filler material may deform and/or compress. The kinetic energy of the impact may be transferred to the face portion 162 and/or the filler material. For example, some of the kinetic energy may be transformed into heat by the filler material or work done in deforming and/or compressing the filler material. Further, some of the kinetic energy may be transferred back to the golf ball to launch the golf ball at a certain velocity. A filler material with a relatively higher COR may transfer relatively more kinetic energy to the golf ball and dissipate relatively less kinetic energy. Accordingly, a filler material with a relatively high COR may generate relatively higher golf ball speeds because a relatively greater part of the kinetic energy of the impact may be transferred back to the golf ball to launch the golf ball from the golf club head 100.
The filler material may include a bonding portion. In one example, the bonding portion may be one or more bonding agents (e.g., one or more adhesive or epoxy materials). For example, the bonding agent may assist in bonding or adhering the filler material to at least the back surface 166 of the face portion 162. The bonding agent may also absorb shock, isolate vibration, and/or dampen noise when the golf club head 100 strikes a golf ball via the face portion 162. Further, the bonding agent may be an epoxy material that may be flexible or slightly flexible when cured. In one example, the filler material may include any of the 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ DP100 family of epoxy adhesives (e.g., 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Epoxy Adhesives DP100, DP100 Plus, DP100NS and DP100FR), which are manufactured by 3M corporation of St. Paul, Minn. In another example, the filler material may include 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ DP100 Plus Clear adhesive. In yet another example, the filler material may include low-viscosity, organic, solvent-based solutions and/or dispersions of polymers and other reactive chemicals such as MEGUM™, ROBOND™ and/or THIXON™ materials manufactured by the Dow Chemical Company, Auburn Hills, Mich. In yet another example, the filler material may be LOCTITE® materials manufactured by Henkel Corporation, Rocky Hill, Conn. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Further, the filler material may include a combination of one or more bonding agents such as any of the bonding agents described herein and one or more polymer materials such as any of the polymer materials described herein. In one example, the filler material may include one or more bonding agents that may be used to bond the polymer material to the back surface 166 of the face portion 162. The one or more bonding agents may be applied to the back surface 166 of the face portion 162. The filler material may further include one or more polymer materials may partially or entirely fill the remaining portions of the interior cavity 700. Accordingly, two or more separate materials may partially or entirely fill the interior cavity 700. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The filler material may only include one or more polymer materials that adhere to inner surface(s) of the interior cavity 700 without a separate bonding agent (e.g., an adhesive or epoxy material). For example, the filler material may include a mixture of one or more polymer materials and one or more bonding agents (e.g., adhesive or epoxy material(s)). Accordingly, the mixture including the one or more polymer materials and the one or more bonding agents may partially or entirely fill the interior cavity 700 and adhere to inner surface(s) of the interior cavity 700. In another example, the interior cavity 700 may be partially or entirely filled with one or more polymer materials without any bonding agents. In yet another example, the interior cavity 700 may be partially or entirely filled with one or more bonding agents and/or adhesive materials such as an adhesive or epoxy material. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Turning to
To lower and/or move the CG of the golf club head 100 further back, mass from the front portion 160 of the golf club head 100 may be removed by using a relatively thinner face portion 162. For example, the first thickness 1510 or the second thickness 1520 may be less than or equal to 0.1 inch (2.54 millimeters). In another example, the first thickness 1510 may be about 0.075 inch (1.905 millimeters) (e.g., T1=0.075 inch). With the support of the back wall portion 1410 to form the interior cavity 700 and filling at least a portion of the interior cavity 700 with an elastic polymer material, the face portion 162 may be relatively thinner (e.g., T1<0.075 inch) without degrading the structural integrity, sound, and/or feel of the golf club head 100. In one example, the first thickness 1510 may be less than or equal to 0.060 inch (1.524 millimeters) (e.g., T1≤0.060 inch). In another example, the first thickness 1510 may be less than or equal to 0.040 inch (1.016 millimeters) (e.g., T1≤0.040 inch). Based on the type of material(s) used to form the face portion 162 and/or the body portion 110, the face portion 162 may be even thinner with the first thickness 1510 being less than or equal to 0.030 inch (0.762 millimeters) (e.g., T1≤0.030 inch). The groove depth 1525 may be greater than or equal to the second thickness 1520 (e.g., Dgroove≥T2). In one example, the groove depth 1525 may be about 0.020 inch (0.508 millimeters) (e.g., Dgroove=0.020 inch). Accordingly, the second thickness 1520 may be about 0.010 inch (0.254 millimeters) (e.g., T2=0.010 inch). In another example, the groove depth 1525 may be about 0.015 inch (0.381 millimeters), and the second thickness 1520 may be about 0.015 inch (e.g., Dgroove=T2=0.015 inch). Alternatively, the groove depth 1525 may be less than the second thickness 1520 (e.g., Dgroove<T2). Without the support of the back wall portion 1410 and the elastic polymer material to fill in the interior cavity 700, a golf club head may not be able to withstand multiple impacts by a golf ball on a face portion. In contrast to the golf club head 100 as described herein, a golf club head with a relatively thin face portion but without the support of the back wall portion 1410 and the elastic polymer material to fill in the interior cavity 700 (e.g., a cavity-back golf club head) may produce unpleasant sound (e.g., a tinny sound) and/or feel during impact with a golf ball. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Based on manufacturing processes and methods used to form the golf club head 100, the face portion 162 may include additional material at or proximate to a periphery of the face portion 162. Accordingly, the face portion 162 may also include a third thickness 1530, and a chamfer portion 1540. The third thickness 1530 may be greater than either the first thickness 1510 or the second thickness 1520 (e.g., T3>T1>T2). In particular, the face portion 162 may be coupled to the body portion 110 by a welding process. For example, the first thickness 1510 may be about 0.030 inch (0.762 millimeters), the second thickness 1520 may be about 0.015 inch (0.381 millimeters), and the third thickness 1530 may be about 0.050 inch (1.27 millimeters). Accordingly, the chamfer portion 1540 may accommodate some of the additional material when the face portion 162 is welded to the body portion 110.
As illustrated in
Alternatively, the face portion 162 may vary in thickness at and/or between the top portion 180 and the sole portion 190. In one example, the face portion 162 may be relatively thicker at or proximate to the top portion 180 than at or proximate to the sole portion 190 (e.g., thickness of the face portion 162 may taper from the top portion 180 towards the sole portion 190). In another example, the face portion 162 may be relatively thicker at or proximate to the sole portion 190 than at or proximate to the top portion 180 (e.g., thickness of the face portion 162 may taper from the sole portion 190 towards the top portion 180). In yet another example, the face portion 162 may be relatively thicker between the top portion 180 and the sole portion 190 than at or proximate to the top portion 180 and the sole portion 190 (e.g., thickness of the face portion 162 may have a bell-shaped contour). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard. As described herein, the interior cavity 700 may be partially or fully filled with a filler material, which may be a polymer material, a bonding agent (such as an adhesive or epoxy material), or a combination of polymer material(s) and bonding agent(s) to at least partially provide structural support for the face portion 162. In particular, the filler material may also provide vibration and/or noise dampening for the body portion 110 when the face portion 162 strikes a golf ball. Alternatively, the filler material may only provide vibration and/or noise dampening for the body portion 110 when the face portion 162 strikes a golf ball. In one example, the body portion 110 of the golf club head 100 (e.g., an iron type golf club head) may have a body portion volume (Vb) between about 2.0 cubic inches (32.77 cubic centimeters) and about 4.2 cubic inches (68.83 cubic centimeters). The volume of the filler material filling the interior cavity (Ve), such as the interior cavity 700, may be between 0.5 and 1.7 cubic inches (8.19 and 27.86 cubic centimeters, respectively). A ratio of the filler material volume (Ve) to the body portion volume (Vb) may be expressed as:
In another example, the ratio of the filler material volume (Ve) to the body portion volume (Vb) may be between about 0.2 and about 0.4. In yet another example, the ratio of the filler material volume (Ve) to the body portion volume (Vb) may be between about 0.25 and about 0.35. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Based on the amount of filler material filling the interior cavity, for example, the thickness of the face portion may be between about 0.025 inches (0.635 millimeters) and about 0.1 inch (2.54 millimeters). In another example, the thickness of the face portion (Tf) may be between about 0.02 inches (0.508 millimeters) and about 0.09 inches (2.286 millimeters). The thickness of the face portion (Tf) may depend on the volume of the filler material in the interior cavity (Ve), such as the interior cavity 700. The ratio of the thickness of the face portion (Tf) to the volume of the filler material (Ve) may be expressed as:
In one example, the ratio of the thickness of the face portion (Tf) to the volume of the filler material (Ve) may be between 0.02 and 0.09. In another example, the ratio of the thickness of the face portion (Tf) to the volume of the filler material (Ve) may be between 0.04 and 0.14. The thickness of the face portion (Tf) may be the same as T1 and/or T2 mentioned above. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The thickness of the face portion (Tf) may depend on the volume of the filler material in the interior cavity (Ve), such as the interior cavity 700, and the body portion volume (Vb). The volume of the filler material (Ve) may be expressed as:
Ve=a*Vb+b±c*Tf
As described herein, for example, the body portion volume (Vb) may be between about 2.0 cubic inches (32.77 cubic centimeters) and about 4.2 cubic inches (68.83 cubic centimeters). In one example, the thickness of the face portion (Tf) may be about 0.03 inches (0.762 millimeters). In another example, the thickness of the face portion (Tf) may be about 0.06 inches (1.524 millimeters). In yet another example, the thickness of the face portion (Tf) may be about 0.075 inches (1.905 millimeters). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Further, the volume of the filler material (Ve) when the interior cavity is fully filled with the filler material may be similar to the volume of the interior cavity (Vc). Accordingly, when the interior cavity is fully filled with a filler material, the volume of the filler material (Ve) in any of the equations provided herein may be replaced with the volume of the interior cavity (Vc). Accordingly, the above equations expressed in terms of the volume of the interior cavity (Vc) may be expressed as:
As described herein, the filler material may include a bonding agent that may be bonded to the back surface 166 of the face portion 162 to attach the remaining portions of the filler material to the back surface 166 of the face portion 162, dampen noise and vibration, provide a certain feel and sound for the golf club head, and/or at least partially structurally support the face portion 162. The thickness of the bonding agent and/or a portion of the filler material may depend on a thickness of the face portion 162. In one example, a relationship between a thickness of the face portion 162 and a thickness of a bonding agent and/or a portion of the filler material may be expressed as:
In one example, the bonding agent and/or the filler material may have a thickness ranging from 0.02 inch (0.51 millimeters) to 0.2 inch (5.08 millimeters). In another example, the bonding agent and/or the filler material may be have a thickness ranging from 0.04 inch (0.1.02 millimeters) to 0.08 inch (2.03 millimeters). In another example, the bonding agent and/or the filler material may be have a thickness ranging from 0.03 inch (0.76 millimeters) to 0.06 inch (1.52 millimeters). In yet another example, the bonding agent and/or the filler material may have a thickness ranging from 0.01 inch (0.25 millimeters) to 0.3 inch (7.62 millimeters). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The process 1700 may provide a body portion 110 having the face portion 162, the interior cavity 700, and the back portion 170 with two or more ports, generally shown as 1420 and 1430 (block 1720). The body portion 110 may be made of a second material, which may be different than the first material or similar to the first material. The body portion 110 may be manufactured using an investment casting process, a billet forging process, a stamping process, a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining process, a die casting process, any combination thereof, or other suitable manufacturing processes. In one example, the body portion 110 may be made of 17-4 PH stainless steel using a casting process. In another example, the body portion 110 may be made of other suitable type of stainless steel (e.g., Nitronic® 50 stainless steel manufactured by AK Steel Corporation, West Chester, Ohio) using a forging process. By using Nitronic® 50 stainless steel to manufacture the body portion 110, the golf club head 100 may be relatively stronger and/or more resistant to corrosion than golf club heads made from other types of steel. One or more ports of the body portion 110 may include an opening and a port wall. For example, the port 1421 may include the opening 720 and the port wall 725 with the opening 720 and the port wall 725 being on opposite ends of each other. The interior cavity 700 may separate the port wall 725 of the port 1421 and the back surface 166 of the face portion 162. In a similar manner, the port 1435 may include the opening 730 and the port wall 735 with the opening 730 and the port wall 735 being on opposite ends of each other. The interior cavity 700 may separate the port wall 735 of the port 1435 and the back surface 166 of the face portion 162.
The process 1700 may couple one or more mass portions of the first and second sets of mass portions 120 and 130 into one of the one or more ports (blocks 1730). In one example, the process 1700 may insert and secure the mass portion 121 in the port 1421, and the mass portion 135 in the port 1435. The process 1700 may use various manufacturing methods and/or processes to secure the first set of mass portions 120 and/or the second set of mass portions 130 in the ports such as the ports 1421 and 1435 (e.g., epoxy, welding, brazing, mechanical lock(s), any combination thereof, etc.).
The process 1700 may partially or entirely fill the interior cavity 700 with a filler material, which may be one or a combination of a polymer material (e.g., an ethylene copolymer material such as DuPont™ HPF family of materials) (block 1740) and/or a bonding agent (e.g., an adhesive or epoxy material such as 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Epoxy Adhesives DP100, DP100 Plus, DP100NS and DP100FR). In one example, the filler material may fill at least 50% of the interior cavity 700. As mentioned above, the filler material may absorb shock, isolate vibration, and/or dampen noise in response to the golf club head 100 striking a golf ball. In one example, the interior cavity 700 may be filled with filler material, which may be a polymer material, a thermoplastic elastomer material, a thermoplastic polyurethane material, a bonding agent, and/or a combination thereof. In another example, the interior cavity 700 may be entirely filled with a bonding agent. As illustrated in
Referring back to
Referring to
For example, the golf club head 100 may include a bonding agent such as any adhesive or epoxy materials described herein to improve adhesion and/or mitigate delamination between the face portion 162 and the polymer material 1920 used to fill the interior cavity 700 of the golf club head 100 (e.g.,
As described above, the filler material may be heated to a liquid state (i.e., non-foaming) and solidifies after being injection molded in the interior cavity 700. A filler material with a low modulus of elasticity may provide vibration and/or noise dampening for the face portion 162 when the face portion 162 impacts a golf ball. For example, a polymer material that foams when heated may provide vibration and/or noise dampening. However, such a foaming polymer material may not have sufficient rigidity to provide structural support to a relatively thin face portion because of possible excessive deflection and/or compression of the polymer material when absorbing the impact of a golf ball. In one example, the one or more components of the filler material that is injection molded in the interior cavity 700 may have a relatively high modulus of elasticity to provide structural support to the face portion 162 and yet elastically deflect to absorb the impact forces experienced by the face portion 162 when striking a golf ball. Thus, a non-foaming and injection moldable polymer material with a relatively high modulus of elasticity may be used for partially or entirely filling the interior cavity 700 to provide structural support and reinforcement for the face portion 162 in addition to providing vibration and noise dampening. That is, the non-foaming and injection moldable polymer material may be a structural support portion for the face portion 162. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
As described herein, the filler material may include a bonding portion. The bonding portion may include an adhesive or epoxy material with a thickness to provide structural support for the face portion 162. Accordingly, the filler material may include a foaming polymer material to provide vibration and noise dampening whereas the bonding portion may provide structural support for the face portion 162. The thickness of the bonding portion may depend on a thickness and physical properties of the face portion 162 as described herein. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
As described herein, the filler material may include a bonding agent (e.g., an adhesive or epoxy material) and a polymer material.
The process 2100 may also include spreading the bonding agent on the back surface 166 (block 2120) after injection of the bonding agent onto the back surface 166 so that a generally uniform coating of the bonding agent is provided on the back surface 166. According to one example, the bonding agent may be spread on the back surface 166 by injecting air into the interior cavity 700 through one or more of the first set of ports 1420 and the second set of ports 1430. The air may be injected into the interior cavity 700 and on the back surface 166 by inserting an air nozzle into one or more of the first set of ports 1420 and the second set of ports 1430. According to one example, the air nozzle may be moved, rotated and/or swiveled at a certain distance from the back surface 166 so as to uniformly blow air onto the bonding agent to spread the bonding agent on the back surface 166 for a uniform coating or a substantially uniform coating of the bonding agent on the back surface 166. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
The example process 2100 is merely provided and described in conjunction with other figures as an example of one way to manufacture the golf club head 100. While a particular order of actions is illustrated in
As described herein, any two or more of the mass portions may be configured as a single mass portion. In the example of
The body portion 2210 may include one or more ports along a periphery of the body portion 2210, generally shown as a first set of ports 2320 (e.g., shown as ports 2321, 2322, 2323, and 2324) and a second port 2330. Each port of the first set of ports 2320 may be associated with a port diameter and at least one port of the first set of ports 2320 may be separated from an adjacent port similar to any of the ports described herein. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
One or more mass portion of the first set of mass portions 2220 (e.g., shown as mass portions 2221, 2222, 2223, and 2224) may be disposed in a port of the first set of ports 2320 (e.g., shown as ports 2321, 2322, 2323, and 2324) located at or proximate to the toe portion 2240 and/or the top portion 2280 on the back portion 2270. The physical properties and/or configurations of the first set of ports 2320 and the first set of mass portions 2220 may be similar to the golf club head 100. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
The second port 2330 may have any configuration and/or extend to and/or between the toe portion 2240 and the heel portion 2250. As illustrated in
The second mass portion 2230 may affect the location of the CG of the golf club head 100 and the MOI of the golf club head about a vertical axis that extends through the CG of the golf club head 2200. All or a substantial portion of the second mass portion 2230 may be generally near the sole portion 2290. For example, the second mass portion 2230 may be near the periphery of the body portion 2210 and extend to and/or between the sole portion 2290 and the toe portion 2240. As shown in the example of
In the example of
The body portion 2410 may also include a hosel transition portion 2495 that may be positioned at or near the heel portion 2450 and located between the front portion 2460, the back portion 2470, and the hosel portion 2455. In one example, the hosel transition portion 2495 may extend from the face portion 2462 to the hosel portion 2455. In another example, the hosel transition portion 2495 may define portions of the heel portion 2450, the front portion 2460, the back portion 2470, the top portion 2480 and/or the sole portion 2490 near the hosel portion 2455. In another example, the hosel transition portion 2495 may be a cutout or an undercut portion of the body portion 2410 located between the face portion 2465 and the hosel portion 2455. In yet another example, the hosel transition portion 2495 may be a portion of the front portion 2460 that is between the face portion 2462 and the hosel portion 2455 and which is not generally used to strike a golf ball (i.e., between the ball strike region of the face portion 2462 and the hosel portion 2455). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
The body portion 2410, the first set of mass portions 2420 and/or the second set of mass portions 2430 may include or be made of different materials. For example, the body portion 2410, the first set of mass portions 2420, and/or the second set of mass portions 2430 may be made of a first, a second and/or a third material. The first, second and third materials may be similar or different materials. For example, the materials of construction of the body portion 2410, the first set of mass portions 2420 and/or the second set of mass portions 2430 may be steel, aluminum, titanium, tungsten, metal alloys, polymers, or composite materials. The materials from which the golf club head 2400, the first set of mass portions 2420 and/or the second set of mass portions 2430 are constructed may be similar in many respects to any of the golf club heads and the mass portions described herein. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.
As illustrated in
The back portion 2470 may include a back wall portion 2610 with one or more ports, which may be exterior ports (e.g., located on an exterior surface of the body portion so as to be visible or exposed) and/or interior ports (e.g., located inside the body portion 2410). In one example, as illustrated in
The first set of ports 2620 (e.g., shown as ports 2621 and 2622) may be located above the horizontal midplane 2820 and/or at or near the toe portion 2440. The first set of ports 2620 may be configured to receive one or more mass portions of the first set of mass portions 2420 to offset and/or balance the weight of the hosel portion 2455 and/or place more mass near the toe portion 2440 to increase the moment of inertia (MOI) of the golf club head 2400. The second set of mass portions 2430 (e.g., mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434, 2435, 2436 and 2437) may be configured to place the center of gravity of the golf club head 2400 at an optimal location and/or optimize the MOI of the golf club head about a vertical axis (not shown) that extends through the center of gravity of the golf club head 2400. Referring to
The mass portions of the second set of mass portions 2430 may have similar or different masses. In one example, the mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435 may be constructed from a less dense material than the mass portions 2436 and 2437. For example, the mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435 may be constructed from titanium, while the mass portions 2436 and 2437 may be constructed from tungsten. The mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435 may be changed with heavier or lighter mass portions to affect the swing weight of the golf club head 2400. Each of the mass portions 2436 and 2437 may be heavier as compared to each of the mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435 to increase the MOI of the golf club head 2400. In one example, the mass of the mass portions may progressively increase from the heel portion 2450 to the toe portion 2440. In another example, the mass of the mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435 may progressively increase from the heel portion 2450 to the toe portion 2440, while the mass of the mass portions 2436 and 2437 may be constant and each greater than the mass of any of the mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435. In yet another example, the mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435 may have similar masses, and the mass portions 2436 and 2437 may also have similar masses but each being greater than the mass of any of the mass portions 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434 and 2435. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Alternatively, two or more mass portions in the same set may be different in mass. In one example, the mass portion 2421 of the first set 2420 may have a relatively lower mass than the mass portion 2422 of the first set 2420. In another example, the mass portion 2431 of the second set 2430 may have a relatively lower mass than the mass portion 2435 of the second set 2430. With relatively greater mass at the top-and-toe transition region and/or the sole-and-toe transition region, more weight may be distributed away from the center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head 2400 to increase the MOI about the vertical axis through the CG.
While the figures may depict ports with a particular cross-sectional shape, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may include ports with other suitable cross-section shapes. The ports of the first and/or second sets of ports 2620 and 2630 may have cross-sectional shapes that are similar to the cross-sectional shapes of any of the ports described herein. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively, may be similar in mass (e.g., all of the mass portions of the first and second sets 2420 and 2430, respectively, weigh about the same). Alternatively, the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively, may be different in mass individually or as an entire set. In particular, each of the mass portions of the first set 2420 (e.g., shown as 2421 and 2422) may have relatively less mass than any of the mass portions of the second set 2430 (e.g., shown as 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434, 2435, 2436 and 2437). For example, the second set of mass portions 2430 may account for more than 50% of the total mass from mass portions of the golf club head 2400. In another example, the second set of mass portions 2430 may account for between 55% to 75% of the total mass from the mass portions of the golf club head 2400. In yet another example, the second set of mass portions 2430 may account for between 60% to 90% of the total mass from the mass portions of the golf club head 2400. As a result, the golf club head 2400 may be configured to have at least 50% or between 50% to 90% of the total mass from mass portions disposed below the horizontal midplane 2820. In one example, the total mass from mass portions may be greater below the horizontal midplane 2820 that the total mass from mass portions above the horizontal midplane 2820. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, the golf club head 2400 may have a mass in the range of about 220 grams to about 240 grams based on the type of golf club (e.g., a 4-iron versus a lob wedge). The body portion 2410 may have a mass in the range of about 200 grams to about 310 grams with the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively, having a mass of about 16-24 grams (e.g., a total mass from mass portions). Each of the mass portions of the first set 2420 may have a mass of about one gram (1.0 g) whereas each of the mass portions of the second set 2430 may have a mass of about 2.4 grams. The total mass of the second set of mass portions 2430 may weigh more than five times as much as the total mass of the first set of mass portions 2420. Accordingly, the first set of mass portions 2420 may account for about 15% of the total mass from mass portions of the golf club head 2400 whereas the second set of mass portions 2430 may be account for about 85% of the total mass from mass portions of the golf club head 2400. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
By coupling the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively, to the body portion 2410 (e.g., securing the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430 in the ports on the back portion 2470) the location of the center of gravity (CG) and the MOI of the golf club head 2400 may be optimized. In particular, the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively, may lower the location of the CG towards the sole portion 2490 and further back away from the face portion 2462. Further, the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively, may provide a higher moment of inertia as measured about a vertical axis extending through the CG (e.g., perpendicular to the ground plane 2810). The MOI may also be higher as measured about a horizontal axis extending through the CG (e.g., extending towards the toe and heel portions 2450 and 2460, respectively, of the golf club head 2400). As a result, the club head 2400 may provide a relatively higher launch angle and a relatively lower spin rate than a golf club head without the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Although the figures may depict the mass portions as separate and individual parts, each set of the first and second sets of mass portions 2420 and 2430, respectively, may be a single piece of mass portion. In one example, all of the mass portions of the first set 2420 (e.g., shown as 2421 and 2422) may be combined into a single piece of mass portion (e.g., a first mass portion). In a similar manner, all of the mass portions of the second set 2430 (e.g., 2431, 2432, 2433, 2434, 2435, 2436 and 2437) may be combined into a single piece of mass portion as well (e.g., a second mass portion) similar to the example of
In one example, as shown in
In one example, as shown in
In the example of
The channel 2710 may define a portion of the body portion 2410 from which mass has been removed or displaced to other portions of the body portion 2410 to form the channel 2710. The removed or displaced mass may be transferred to other portions of the body portion 2410 to impart certain characteristics to the golf club head 2400 such as to increase the MOI, lower the CG, optimize vibration and dampening characteristics, and/or improve the sound and feel of the golf club head 2400. At least a portion of the removed or displaced mass may be transferred below the horizontal midplane 2820 of the body portion 2410 to lower the center of gravity of the golf club head 2400 while maintaining or substantially maintaining the overall mass of the body portion 2410. Further, at least a portion of the removed or displaced mass may be transferred below the horizontal midplane 2820 of the body portion 2410 and closer to the toe portion 2440 than the heel portion 2450 to increase the MOI of the golf club head 2400. In one example, the removed or displaced mass may be incorporated into the body portion 2410 below the horizontal midplane 2820 by increasing the volume of the body portion 2410 below the horizontal midplane 2820. In another example, the removed or displaced mass may be incorporated into the body portion 2410 as additional mass portions. The increased mass below the horizontal midplane 2820 and/or toward the toe portion 2440 lowers the center of gravity and/or increases the MOI of the golf club head 2400, respectively. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The configuration of the channel 2710, such as width, depth, volume, cross-sectional shape and any of the other characteristics described herein may vary as the channel 2710 extends from the toe portion edge 2441 to the heel portion edge 2451. Accordingly, the mass that is removed or displaced from the body portion 2410 due to the presence of the channel 2710 may similarly vary. According to another example, the masses of the mass portions of the second set of mass portions 2430 may correspondingly vary in a direction from the toe portion 2440 to the heel portion 2450 at a similar rate or a substantially similar rate as the variation in the channel configuration from the toe portion 2440 to the heel portion 2450. In another example, all of the mass portions of the second set of mass portions 4330 may have similar masses. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The masses of the mass portions of the first set of mass portions 2420 and/or the second set of mass portions 2430 may vary. The mass of each mass portion may be increased and/or decreased by changing the length, diameter and/or the material of construction of the mass portions. For example, the mass of a mass portion may be increased by increasing the length of the mass portion without increasing the diameter of the mass portion so that the mass portion can be used in any of the ports of the body portion 2410. In another example, the mass of a mass portion may be increased by using a denser material for the mass portion. In yet another example, two similarly sized mass portions may have different masses by having one of the mass portions being a non-hollow mass portion and the other mass portion having a hollow portion. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, the masses of the second set of mass portions 2430 may decrease from the toe portion 2440 to the heel portion 2450 to increase the MOI of the golf club head 2400. In one example, each of the mass portions of the second set of mass portions 2430 may have a reduced mass relative to an adjacent mass portion of the second set of mass portions 2430 in a direction from the toe portion 2440 to the heel portion 2450. In another example, groups of mass portions of the second set of mass portions 2430 may have similar masses and yet have a greater overall mass than an adjacent group of mass portions that are closer to the heel portion 2450. Accordingly, the masses of the mass portions of the second set of mass portions 2430 may decrease in a direction from the toe portion 2440 to the heel portion 2450 in any manner. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The body portion 2410 of the golf club head 2400 may be a hollow body including a first interior cavity 2570, which may be similar to the interior cavity 700 of the golf club head 100. The first interior cavity 2570 may be unfilled, partially filled, or entirely filled with a polymer material similar to the golf club head 100 as discussed in detail herein. Any one or more ports of the first set of ports 2620 and/or the second set of ports 2630 may be connected to the first interior cavity 2570 similar to the golf club head 100 as discussed in detail herein and shown in the example of
The body portion 2410 may include a second interior cavity 2580 at or proximate the hosel transition portion 2495. The second interior cavity 2580 may extend partially or fully through the hosel transition portion 2495 and be positioned between the first interior cavity 2570 and the hosel portion 2455. The second interior cavity 2580 may define an undercut portion of the hosel transition portion 2495. In one example, as shown in
The second interior cavity 2580 may be located at or proximate to the hosel transition portion 2495. The second interior cavity may be at any location between and/or including the front portion 2460 and the back portion 2470, and extend in any dimension between and/or including the front portion 2460 and the back portion 2470. In one example, as shown in
The second interior cavity 2580 may be in or proximate to the hosel transition portion 2495 and extend at any dimension between the toe portion 2440 and the heel portion 2450. In one example, as shown in
The second interior cavity 2580 may be located at or proximate to the hosel transition portion 2495 at any location between the top edge 2481 of the top portion 2480 and the sole edge 2491 of the sole portion 2490 and extend at any dimension between the top edge 2481 of the top portion 2480 and the sole edge 2491 of the sole portion 2490. In one example, as shown in
The second interior cavity 2580 may have any shape, such as rectangular, elliptical, triangular, spherical, or a shape that partially or fully conforms to the shape of the hosel transition portion 2495. In one example, as shown in
The second interior cavity 2580 may define a portion of the body portion 2410 from which mass has been removed or displaced to other portions of the body portion 2410 to form second interior cavity 2580. The removed or displaced mass may be transferred to other portions of the body portion 2410 to impart certain characteristics to the golf club head 2400 such as to increase the MOI, lower the CG, optimize vibration and dampening characteristics, and/or improve the sound and feel of the golf club head 2400. At least a portion of the removed or displaced mass may be transferred below the horizontal midplane 2820 of the body portion 2410 to lower the center of gravity of the golf club head 2400 while maintaining or substantially maintaining the overall mass of the body portion 2410. Further, at least a portion of the removed or displaced mass may be transferred below the horizontal midplane 2820 of the body portion 2410 and closer to the toe portion 2440 than the heel portion 2450 to increase the MOI of the golf club head 2400. In one example, the removed or displaced mass may be incorporated into the body portion 2410 below the horizontal midplane 2820 by increasing the volume of the body portion 2410 below the horizontal midplane 2820. In another example, the removed or displaced mass may be incorporated into the body portion 2410 as additional mass portions. The increased mass below the horizontal midplane 2820 and/or toward the toe portion 2440 lowers the center of gravity and/or increases the MOI of the golf club head 2400, respectively. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In the example of
In the example of
Although a particular order of actions may be described herein with respect to one or more processes, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. Further, two or more actions in any of the processes described herein may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously.
While the above examples may described an iron-type or a wedge-type golf club head, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be applicable to other types of golf club heads.
A numerical range defined using the word “between” includes numerical values at both end points of the numerical range. A spatial range defined using the word “between” includes any point within the spatial range and the boundaries of the spatial range. A location expressed relative to two spaced apart or overlapping elements using the word “between” includes (i) any space between the elements, (ii) a portion of each element, and/or (iii) the boundaries of each element.
The terms “and” and “or” may have both conjunctive and disjunctive meanings. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless this disclosure indicates otherwise. The term “coupled” and any variation thereof refer to directly or indirectly connecting two or more elements chemically, mechanically, and/or otherwise. The phrase “removably connected” is defined such that two elements that are “removably connected” may be separated from each other without breaking or destroying the utility of either element.
The term “substantially” when used to describe a characteristic, parameter, property, or value of an element may represent deviations or variations that do not diminish the characteristic, parameter, property, or value that the element may be intended to provide. Deviations or variations in a characteristic, parameter, property, or value of an element may be based on, for example, tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors. The term “proximate” is synonymous with terms such as “adjacent,” “close,” “immediate,” “nearby”, “neighboring”, etc., and such terms may be used interchangeably as appearing in this disclosure.
The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be implemented in a variety of embodiments, and the foregoing description of some of these embodiments does not necessarily represent a complete description of all possible embodiments. Instead, the description of the drawings, and the drawings themselves, disclose at least one embodiment, and may disclosure alternative embodiments.
As the rules of golf may change from time to time (e.g., new regulations may be adopted or old rules may be eliminated or modified by golf standard organizations and/or governing bodies such as the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A), etc.), golf equipment related to the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be conforming or non-conforming to the rules of golf at any particular time. Accordingly, golf equipment related to the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be advertised, offered for sale, and/or sold as conforming or non-conforming golf equipment. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Although certain example apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this disclosure covers all apparatus, methods, and articles of articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
Schweigert, Bradley D., Nicolette, Michael R., Parsons, Robert R.
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